Super Crush (BxB)

A Slam Heart Break

"What? Are you going to murder me like you did Sir Madness? No trial, no jury– just cold blood?"

This is news to Abe and Clay.

"And all of these Maniacs you could have stopped peacefully? The Maniacs you helped Sir Madness make. You are a sham!"

I spit at her. Yes, I launch a wad of saliva right on the most powerful being's iron-clad, knee-high, combat boots. My ass is toast, but I am done caring what happens to me.

She looks down at the liquid on her shoe. "Crimson Kid, I will be nice and let you take care of this treasonous bastard, ex-friend of yours."

Her words are knowing. Matriarch is aware of exactly who I am.

Abe stands there unsure for the first time. Trying to find answers on his leader's face.

Matriarch brings her com-watch to her mouth and looks me right in my eyes.

"Crimson Kid, I command you to kill the traitor, Noah Brasso."

His head snaps to me. A chill runs through me.

Before Abe can take a step toward me, Clay grabs his shoulder and yanks him backward. They immediately grapple with one another, seeing who can throw an immobilizing blow first. Their fight leads them yards away from me, but both Matriarch and I are too entranced to move.

Whether he means it or not, I hear Clay's voice in my earpiece. He is trying to make Abe see that Matriarch and The Fleet are the real bad guys.

Look at your team, they are destroying half the city and using lethal force trying to take the evil people down. This isn't your style. Clay say to Abe.

My old friend pauses for a moment before lighting his red flame back up.

Dude, you are listening to your crazy superhero team over your best friend?

"Shut up. He is blinded by his love for you. He is so damn naive," Abe breaks his silence.

Bro, he may like me, but I know he is in love with you. Always has been.

And with a sign-off, Clay uppercuts Abe. His knuckles find his strong jaw. He sends him back into the side of a dumpster.

Stuck in the imprint of the metal, Abe is motionless. Leaning in close, Clay heckles him.

Game over, pretty boy.

My attention is brought back to the psychopath in front of me as she mumbles into her watch again.

"Rapidfire, get here now. Neutralize rock boy."

"Be there in 5.4 seconds, boss," the voice on the line says.

I shout to Clay to warn him that the speedster will be on him any moment, but time seems to slow down. I see the path of dust rushing down the street behind Clay.

"Slammer...it's...Rapidfire..."

Then, like time catches back up, I see it play out in a blur. Clay's arm goes out to one side and finds a strong resting place just in time to clothesline Rapidfire. Face meets rock forearm. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. Like a crumbled action figure, the sprinter rolls to Matriarch's feet.

"Here," she says, reaching down to take off his tattered helmet and help her comrade. Red is everywhere. His face is pretty mangled. Matriarch examines the remains of his headgear as her teammate chokes on his own blood.

"Help me, please," he begs his leader between coughs.

"I will," Matriarch assures him. "It'll all be over in a moment."

My eyes grow in horror as she reaches for her sword. With one swift and graceful swing, Rapidfire's head rolls from his body.

Like an idiot, Clay leaps at her. She sidesteps him easily. The sound of blade on stone, and he goes to one knee.

Then he lets out an ear-piercing wail.

"Yeah, you like that? Self-programmed for the wearer not to be able to take it off unless given permission or incapacitated," Matriarch informs.

Clay gets to his feet and I realize the source of his agony. I knew that Matriarch's sword couldn't hurt him, but she slid Rapidfire's leftover helmet piece onto his visor as she dodged his advance.

"Stand there and look dumb," Matriarch says into her wristband.

Clay tries to reach for her but bellows again.

"All those volts getting to ya? If you follow the commands, you don't get any consequences."

The pulse of the electro-shock is so strong, that it shakes Clay's rock skin. It's painful to watch. The vibrations actually move the stones away from each other almost a centimeter I'd say.

As the man I care for remains unable to break the brain control's command, Matriarch finally jumps head first off the diving board into the Crazytown Community Pool.

"I had to rid this Earth of the weak. Weakness leads to destruction. This is your father's fault."

"Go to hell," I retaliate.

This gets me a sidekick to the gut. I fall to my knees.

"It was twofold. His brilliance brought both Cloud 10 and the mind inhibitor technology into existence and then blew the whistle when he grew moral. He figured out the connection between the headbands and Cloud 10...the possibilities...the warfare. He couldn't handle it."

"You're right. He couldn't handle being a murderer like you, you psycho bitch!"

Matriarch lets out an A-class creepy laugh. Like Nancy-Downs-The-Craft shit.

"You," she says, turning to Clay, "do what you do best. Smash his head in."

Though I want to suggest she improves her quips by using Clay's correct name, my attention is on my once friendly giant, and my feet are slowly backpedaling.

"I get it. I know you are in there. I know this isn't you. And I know this isn't a Disney movie. This is science."

It sounds like rambling, but I have a point. Each of his steps is slow and painful. His resistance is met with jolts of electricity so violent that his skin is blinking back and forth between flesh and rock.

I am backed against an upended car. Nowhere to go.

"I forgive you. For whatever is about to happen."

A tear runs down his face. He is mumbling.

I whisper, "Stop fighting it. I want to hold you one last time."

He stops in his tracks. The convulsing stops as he raises his hand above his head.

My hand finds his chest. "It's been fun, big man."

Then I close my eyes.

"Now!" he lets out a low growl.

Another moment goes by, and then I feel the impact of Clay's body against mine. It smashes me into the wall, but not because he has hit me. I open my eyes to see him limp and blood-soaked in my arms. His weight pulls me down to the ground with him as the tears start to fall. I see the fatal wound on his back–charred and crimson.

"Clay, Clay," I shake him even though I know he's gone. I pull his face to mine, I rip off his helmet and shout at him. I curse him.

And when I look up, I see the worst part of it all. Abe, ruby glow ablaze, fist still extended from firing the killing blast. My sights narrow on him as he takes his spot beside Matriarch. I ignore the sorrow and regret that are building in his eyes. I put my own mourning on hold.

He is no longer my friend. He isn't even human. It's clear. Abe is a monster. And I have to end him.